Anna Parsons, 31
When Anna Parsons was in high school, she dreamed of becoming a baker. Many weeknights and weekends were spent trying out new recipes and adding her own special touch to tried-and-true favourites. But when she graduated from Glebe Collegiate Institute in 1997, she opted to enrol in a Mathematics degree at the University of Waterloo instead of pursuing a career in the food industry.
Baker and Manager, Natural Food Pantry
Ottawa, Ontario
Education
- Bachelor of Honours Mathematics, Business Administration, Sp. Management Information Systems
University of Waterloo, 2002 - Baking and Pastry Arts
Algonquin College, 2007
Career Path
When Anna Parsons was in high school, she dreamed of becoming a baker. Many weeknights and weekends were spent trying out new recipes and adding her own special touch to tried-and-true favourites. But when she graduated from Glebe Collegiate Institute in 1997, she opted to enrol in a Mathematics degree at the University of Waterloo instead of pursuing a career in the food industry. Or so she thought at the time. It turns out her degree was just the first step toward starting the career she loves today.
“After I graduated (from Waterloo), I came back to Ottawa,” says Anna. “My goal was to find a government job in finance so I could save money. But in the back of my mind, I still wanted to get into the food industry.”
Anna spent three and a half years working for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) as a financial officer. She enjoyed the position, but couldn’t shake the feeling that her heart was set on being a baker. A year into her job at CNSC, Anna started up a home cookie business, taking mail orders for classic goodies like molasses crinkles and chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin cookies. But it wasn’t until a friend tipped her off about an opening at a bakery that Anna truly realized what she had to do. The job didn’t work out in the end, but discovering how excited it made her feel “pretty much flipped the switch in my brain that I needed to pursue it seriously,” she says.
Within a matter of months, Anna had resigned from her position at CNSC and enrolled in Algonquin College’s Baking and Pastry Arts program. She started classes in September 2006, and also made a point of finding work in the industry—first as a baker at Isobel & Company, then at Bread & Sons Bakery. According to Anna, getting an early start in the job market was a huge benefit to her development as a baker. “You develop your skills a lot faster,” she says. “You can increase your confidence that way. And you make a lot of contacts. Generally, you need to start from the bottom, but you can move up really quickly once you’ve started in the industry.”
After graduating from Algonquin in April 2007, Anna took a position as baker at Ottawa’s Little Stream Bakery. Eight months in, Anna was doing double duty as manager. In May 2008, she started working as baker and manager at The Natural Food Pantry and hasn’t looked back since. She loves the responsibility her job brings and that it enables her to combine her background in costing and scheduling with her passion for working with her hands and being creative in the kitchen.
It may have taken the better part of a decade to get where she is today, but Anna has no regrets about the path that led her here. She uses the math, problem-solving and time-management skills she learned at university everyday on the job. And, she says, “the government work helped give me the confidence to do what I do now. I don’t wish I’d done anything differently because I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t had those experiences.”
Best Advice
“Be open to new experiences and be aware everyday of what’s happening around you. Things will come to you, whether it’s people you’ll meet or opportunities that will present themselves. If it feels right, just take it. It definitely helps to have a bit of money in your back pocket so you can take those leaps and be financially secure. But the main thing is to keep your eyes open for opportunities. And never give up.”